Sasan Heirati has done it again! Great Scott, he just won another IFBB Pro League pro show and the fans can’t get enough. The Cal Pro is one of the premier pro shows in California and they certainly keep the bar high. One look at the top tier competitors that competed says it all. Although Heirati deserved the win by all accounts, this was no cakewalk. These guys came with only one thing on their mind – kicking ass! You could tell by the tempo of the show that this was an all out war. The competitors weren’t messing around, especially when it came to the Top 5. That’s because all of these guys want their spot at the Superbowl of Bodybuilding.
Ever since Jake Wood took over the O, the sport has gone back to its bodybuilding roots. It’s something that’s universally recognized. I know as a member of the media that I can tell the authenticity that’s present in Vegas is as real as when The Master Blaster was in the driver seat. I know the sponsors can feel it – that’s why they get booths and have such a strong presence. Jake made the O about the competitors again! And they want to be on that stage. This is why, I’d argue, that amateurs compete. They want to turn pro, then qualify, then take the stage at the Olympia Weekend. I could see that hunger in the top guys at this show. Whether it was Eric or Lucas, I could see it. Whether it was Sas or Wellington, they had the look. It’s hard to explain it further, but think of tunnel vision (x10). You could see the power and the emotion behind each pose. It was like BAM! BAM! BAM! What a contest! This one will go down in the record books. Plus imagine the honor of being Mr. California State Pro 2026. That title equals tremendous bragging rights. After all, California is home to the Mecca of Bodybuilding, Gold’s Gym – Venice Beach!
I must admit that Sas didn’t just wow the crowd, but he impressed me as well. After winning the highly competitive 2026 FIBO Pro, Heirati was already qualified. And what a way to get that qualification. Sas battled against some of the best competitors no one has ever heard of. He was poised to go to Germany and leave with a big win. The fans went bonkers when Sas was announced the winner. It was like complete pandemonium. I have to admit that after seeing that, I just assumed that if Sas kept competing, that he’d be doing so at around 75-90%. This is nothing against the Persian sensation, but it’s more so about strategy. If you have a competitor who has already earned a big win in 2026 and already has a path to the big dance, there’s going to be a camp that believes he might just be competing for fun or to make a few extra bucks. Very few people will think that someone who’s already qualified will keep doing more shows at 100%. The danger as far as many would be concerned is that peaking too much during the pro season might hinder that athlete’s ability to peak at the Olympia.
What a lot of competitors and fans alike fail to realize in 2026, is that competitors back in the day would do a number of shows. There was never the danger of burning out. Maybe that has more to do with the age of the competitor, but so long as there are no physical injuries or metabolic damage at play, there’s really no limit to how much a competitor can compete. It’s not a question of could, rather, it’s a question of should.
Each competitor knows his or her limitations. And it’s not a weakness to have one, either. It’s just understanding how the person’s body works. If there’s only so many shows they can do, then it’s best to qualify and hunker down. But if one thing is for sure, Sas has shown us that he’s a throwback to yesteryear. I, personally, don’t see any issue with competing beyond the qualification point. I do think there’s a danger when you’re defending a major title, particularly the Olympia.
For example, once Samson won the Olympia, he should have hunkered down and done the business of bodybuilding (guest posing tours, seminars, in-stores, etc). Instead, for what reason I have no idea, Dauda elected to compete at the Arnold Classic? Did he let the Olympia win cloud his judgment? Did he see Columbus as easy money? Did he take a gamble? Whatever he did, he lost the momentum of being Mr O. You can hardly market yourself as #1 if immediately after winning the biggest title you go to the second biggest bodybuilding show in the world and lose. No title, no matter how impressive, is designed to put up with that sort of thing. Once Derek beat him in Columbus, the wow-factor was gone. Also, by way of his blunder, all the wow-factor he lost, went straight over to Derek. It was similar to the year Dexter had to promote his title win. Everyone knew Jay was going to come back and win the Sandow back, but even in that case, it was a suspicion. With Dauda, when he lost, he was very much knocked off his high horse. In any event, even if Sas were to go and compete at five more shows and lose all of them, it won’t matter. He’s just another competitor competing – but – he’s going to the Olympia no matter what.
So in that context, I have to say that seeing Sas take the stage even better than in Germany really impressed me. He’s not looking for low-hanging fruit or easy money. That’s one thing about bodybuilders from Persia, the Middle East – heck the whole world!! They respect the stage. They love bodybuilding and they know what it’s all about, but there’s reverence there as well. A lot of international coaches wouldn’t let their clients half-ass it. A lot of international competitors would rather skip a contest – even if it means taking a bath financially on prep – than get on stage and embarrass themselves. We see this with how countries look at bodybuilding, as well. When Big Ramy arrives in Egypt – it’s a big deal! When he won the Olympia, it was like Egypt winning the FIFA title. They don’t mess around with bodybuilding. So all the more reason guys like Sas have a tremendous respect for the stage. We, as media, definitely see it and appreciate it.
So what does this mean for Heirati? Will he compete in more shows? Get more wins? That’s great for him, but the way the sport is designed now (without the points system), it kind of stinks for the guys who can’t beat him. If he keeps competing, they may never get a qualification. Then again, that’s the competition’s problem. The Olympia is for the best of the best. If that’s not you, buy a ticket and watch from the audience. That said, I do think at some point Sas will take a breather. Even though I don’t see anything wrong with competing often, I do think he’ll want to give his body a rest at some point. One more thing I’d like to point out is that I don’t think Sas relies too much on chemicals. I’m not suggesting he’s natural, but from what I’ve heard it’s that this guy isn’t afraid of suffering a bit. That might explain why competes after knowing he’s qualified. I mean, ok so he is making a little more money, but that’s not why he does it. I think he’s doing it because he can – and others won’t. They could, but they don’t. That’s his opportunity to shine even more!
I could talk about the new school versus the old school all day. I like seeing competitors like Sas who aren’t scared of a little hard work. Did you agree that Heirati should have won the 2026 Cal Pro? As always, I leave the last word for you, the loyal readers of IronMag. I hope you enjoyed reading my article. Please be sure to copy and paste a link to this article on all your social media feeds. It’s bound to generate lively conversation.
Author Bio:
Christian I. Duque is the owner of StrengthAddicts.com, a physique and strength website founded in 2008. He has worked for a number of bodybuilding websites, including RX Muscle and Muscular Development. Christian has written nearly 1,000 published articles for IronMag Blog, as well as articles for StrengthAddicts, RX Muscle, and others. By day, he is also a licensed attorney practicing in the areas of family law, immigration, and criminal defense.
